The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-06-08
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

The Russian Empire IS comPoseo
of fifty governments and provinces.
London covers 700 square miles,
/ has 5000 miles of streets, and popu-
'lation of 5,0O0,00
The Empress of Germany has con-
ferred the Cross of the Order OF Louise
on three lady presidents of Augusta,
the Catholic and Jewish asylums at
Berlin.
The Queen of the Belgians recent
" took pot-luck with the officers OF a
regiment of infantry. Her dinner was
a plate of cabbage-soup and picked
pigs foot.
BY way of the British Embassy at
St. Petersburg comes probably the first
authentic statement of the Russian debt,
which shows total of G471. 900,
with the interest for the current year
over ELS. 100000
AT Forli, Italy, very ancient tomb
has been found under a street, contain
inc the remains of skeleton warrior,
leaf-shaped lance heads of iron, tibule
and great number of small vases and
urns of pottery.
In the Acropolis at Athens was a
golden lamp large enough so that
when filled it would burn night and
day for year. Above it was bronze
palm tree to carry off its fumes and act
as reflector.
There has just been completed in
London another tunnel under the
Thames mile long, starting from a
point Just north of London bridge. 1t
took only about four months to build
cost G25, 900, and is expected to be one
of the best-paying enterprises OF the
day.-Gristian at Work.
The French are smoking less every
year, apparently. Last years tax on
smoking tobacco, including cigars, was
5000, 900 francs less than 1885. OF
snuff, however, the consumption is as
large as ever, 100000 francs being
the annual expenditure for the nose
tickling compound.-Boston Tran
script.
"A supposed equestrienne statue OF
Jeanne dare in the Cluny Museum,
whose horse once formed reliquary.
is declared by writer in the Courier
de rArt to be not the Maid of Orleans
at all, but Saint Maurice, the recep-
tacle in the horse having been used to
contain the relics of that favorite OF the
Middle Ages.
The railway through the so-called
"Hell Valley" in the Black Forest,
from Freiburg to Neustadt, will be
completed next month, opening up to
tourists fresh view of the beauties of
this romantic district. Another item
for tourists is the opening to the public
of the palaces of Hohenschwan gau,
Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee, built
by the late King of Bavaria with such
magnifcence and at almost incredible
cost. philadelphia Press.
In Russia, on the northern rail-
ways, the locomotives, hitherto burn
ing wood or coal, are being adapted
or peat burning, the saving being esti-
mated at some fifty per cent In many
places the peat is cut by hand ma
chimes, but these, although cheap and
easy to work, have the drawback that
the peat can not be worked below eight
feet, whereas the peat-cutting machines
worked by steam-power penetrate
twenty feet, and reach the lower, denser
layers of peat, which, owing to their
superior quality, command a higher
price in the market. N Y. Sun.
Sir Peter Lumsden lately read a
paper before the Royal Geographical
Society, in which he describes lake
in Asia about six miles long, the bed
of which is one solid mass of hard salt,
perfectly level, and covered by only an
inch or two of water. To ride over il
was like riding over ice or cement.
The bottom was covered with slight
sediment; but, when that was scraped
away, the pure white salt shone out
below. How deep this deposit may be
it is impossible to say, for no one has
yet got to the bottom of it.-Bostou
Budget.
| -----4e